During the recent international break, England confirmed its qualification for the 2024 European Championships, to be held in Germany this summer, following a victory over defending champions Italy.
While selecting some players into the Euros squad is considered a no-brainer, such as captain Harry Kane and world-class talent Jude Bellingham, other positions have come under much scrutiny in recent months.
A particular area of contention is the central midfield, following Jordan Hendersons controversial move to the Saudi Pro League and Kalvin Phillips lack of game time at Manchester City.
The North-East has a long history of producing midfield talent for England, from Sir Bobby Charlton to Bryan Robson and Paul Gascoigne, among others.
Now, another midfield talent from Tyneside is emerging in the Premier League: North Shields-born Sean Longstaff.
After breaking through into Newcastles first team in 2018, Longstaff has endured some mixed fortunes at St James Park.
The midfielders career has been revitalised, though, since the appointment of the current manager, Eddie Howe.
Longstaff is yet to win a cap for England, but his recent form at Newcastle suggests he may not be far off one.
In this tactical analysis and scout report, we will assess Longstaffs midfield role at Newcastle United.
We will further analyse how Longstaff could benefit the England squad based on his performances on Tyneside and the tactics instructed by Howe.
A selfless player
Based on recent performances and league standing, Newcastle are showing that last seasons impressive 4th-place finish in the Premier League was no fluke.
The Magpies endured a difficult start to the season, losing three games in a row in the league.
However, since the defeat away to Brighton, they have lost only one of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
The start of this impressive run coincided with Longstaffs return to the starting XI.
The 26-year-old midfielder has been ever-present in the starting line-up since the Premier League and Champions League began.
Longstaff operates in the number eight role for Newcastle on the right-hand side of a three-man midfield, as Howe typically sets up his side in a 4-3-3 formation.
Moreover, Longstaff often switches to operate in the more traditional number six role in defensive midfield to provide cover for Bruno Guimarães.
In the above match, Longstaff is positioned centrally as Newcastles deepest-lying midfielder.
Longstaffs positioning has enabled Guimarães to join the press in the middle third of the pitch, win the tackle, and progress the forward play.
The Brazilian eventually goes on to score for the Magpies.
Longstaff has demonstrated his defensive capabilit
